Choosing an architect in London

Architects generally have a speciality, so it is important to find an architect that will meet your needs to build your home. Whether your style choice is classic and traditional with some country style features, or something modern and minimalist in detail, there is an architecture firm that will be able to guide you in making the best choice to suit your family and lifestyle. It is imperative to do adequate research on the architecture company of your choice, as this will give you an idea regarding references, previous clients and completed projects, so visit their website or better yet, check if they are featured on homify! If you are in need of architects in London, then homify is the best place to find all the information your require about professionals as well as being a great website that showcases the past and current projects of architects. You can also save the projects you like into Ideabooks, making the design process to build your house a lot easier.

Are architects necessary?

You may ask yourself, why use an
architect to build my house? Architects are a necessity when building
a home or any major structure that requires planning and
consultation. Architectural design is the core focus for not only
building homes, but also ensuring its energy saving abilities and
green friendly compliance. The best architects continue working
throughout the construction process to make sure that the
architectural house plans they have drawn up are being adhered to
perfectly. Hiring a professional will also guarantee modern
architecture and modern house designs, that will definitely make your
home more functional, as well as economically and environment
sustainable, while being attractive and aesthetically appealing.

What do architects do?

Architects work building, remodelling
and even renovating your home, while also taking care of ensuring
that the home is built to standard and includes facilities and detail
to keep your home trendy, while showcasing contemporary architecture.
These professionals are responsible for designing a building and
ensuring that it interacts perfectly with the environment, while also
being sustainable and eco-friendly, this will aid energy and water
saving, which is essential in modern house design. The architect will
draw up the plans and formal design that will act as directions for
the construction team and professionals to work through when building
the house.

Remodelling your home

Perhaps you already have a home, but
it’s old, tired and in need of a major revamp? So how about hiring
an architect to remodel your current home, giving a more modern edge
with some contemporary architecture instead? Sometimes it may mean a
lot of work needs to be done to get your home looking stylish,
elegant and liveable again, but if you have some ideas to set the
groundwork and you hire an architect to build onto your imagined
foundation, the end result you could a fantastic dream home that is
everything that you hoped for! The architect should also be able to
assist with ideas that add value to the home and that will remain
trendy and tasteful for years to come.

Renovating a home

In order to renovate any property that
has been neglected and forgotten, you have to realise that time,
effort and of course money will make the house look good as new, and
hiring an architect in London, will ensure that your home
architecture meets the standard and guidelines set by the
authorities. However, it is vital to remember that your architect
should be great at renovating, to make your home look superb. There
are a variety of specialities that architects prefer, so be sure to
hire someone that adds modern aspects to old homes. By hiring an
architect, you can be assured that expensive mistakes will not be
made, and that someone can be held accountable should errors occur.

Planning your architecture

Modern architecture now involves more
than just drawing up structural plans for builders, but the house
architecture also needs to meet certain environmental and
ecologically friendly requirements. By hiring a professional, you can
leave it in their capable hands and now that your home will look as
fabulous and you could ever want. Architects draw up a CGI version of
the home design to give you a rendered idea of what the home will
look like once complete. This modern technology is a great way to
ensure that your home design meets realistic expectations even before
the plans have been signed off and the construction begins, which
will save you time and money too.

The site manager

While hiring an architect is imperative
to building a home, the site manager is equally as important to
ensure that the home is perfect. Their job is to prepare the site,
hire staff and plan the work process, the site manager also deals
with the materials and how and when they will be ordered, transported
and delivered. The site manager also checks that the construction
team are working according to the schedule. The architect will also
consult with the site manager to ensure that the design and
construction are moving along swiftly, which is why hiring a
proficient and referenced site manager is key to ensuring a project
is completed efficiently and effectively.

Finding the right architect

Because the architecture field is
broad, you may be requires to search for an architect that meets your
needs specifically, and by visiting the homify professionals
directory, you are sure to find and architect that can assist you in
making your home a reality. And because we are a website that serves
international markets, finding an architect in your city shouldn’t
be that difficult. Simply search through the website for architects
within your vicinity or surrounds and have a look through their
online profile that showcases their past and current projects in chic
style. This will allow you to determine whether that architect has
the set skills and expertise to make your home look gorgeous and
fascinating, alternatively continue your search and save your
favourite projects as you continue. In order to make your architect
search easier, narrow down your process by including the expertise
and preferred location, this means that only architects based in
London will appear on the search list.

Are large architectural firms better
than smaller, boutique firms?

Although there are positive and
negative aspects to hiring either larger or smaller, boutique firms
to complete your architectural project, it is necessary to evaluate
your expectations. Smaller firms may be more willing to spend some
time debating the pros and cons of certain home features, and they
may also have the passion to invest in your project, but you may only
have one architect working on your home at a time, which could be a
good thing or a bad thing. However, larger architecture firms have a
lot more experience and knowledge than smaller firms and often have a
team of architects working on each project.

Choosing an architect

Making the choice on the right
architect for your home may be a rather lengthy process, aside from
expertise, professionalism and experience, an architect also needs to
be someone that you feel is easy to get along with, there definitely
needs to be some connection between the home owner and architect,
whether it be chemistry or similar conversation and hobbies, it is
vital to get along with your architect in order to communicate
effectively.

How much will an architect cost?

Architecture is a professional trade,
so cheap architects may be unskilled in certain aspects of design and
may not be worthwhile to even consider. Most architects work on an
hourly rate or fixed amount based on the percentage of the total
construction cost. But, bear in mind that the rates for house
remodelling may be higher than just designing as a result of the
unpredictability of the project. Hiring an architect will never be
cheap, but if you factor it into your budget, the cost of an
architect could in turn save you money when compared to the mistakes
that can happen as a result of mismanagement and incorrect design.

How to contact an architect?

A number of architects work via word of
mouth, which is great because you will be able to discuss experiences
with individuals who have hired the architect previously. However,
homify is also a wealth of information that makes getting into touch
with your prospective architect and admiring their work easy and
efficient. This means that you gain access to all their details,
including links to their Facebook, website or phone number at the
touch of a button.